MUSKEGON, Mich. -- They're sports you've probably seen on TV in the Olympics, but never thought you'd try. On Sunday, the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex Try-Athlon is giving people a chance to speedskate, cross country ski and even luge.
The event is all thanks to speed skating coach Mark Jastrzembski whose love of Michigan winter sports helped him dream up the event 22 years ago.
"I'm the ice man. I speed skate and I helped build the luge so I thought well that's two sports and I always recreationally skied so I thought 'let's put them all together and have a triathlon.'"
The day starts off with a speed skating lesson, followed by luge and culminates with a cross country ski dash to the finish line.
Muskegon Winter Sports Complex Executive Director Jim Rudicil says you don't have to be experienced to compete in the Try-Athalon.
"It's a try-athlon, T-R-Y; we're going to try it and we're going to teach it, so we'll have all of our great instructors out here."
Jastrzembski says the key to winning is trying. "If you try you get a point."
And he says the real competition isn't between other participants.
"The competition is between the families and it can be brutal at times."
The whole family can compete for $50 and individuals are $20. Jastrzembski says if you can't make it this year, you can probably mark your calendars for next year.
"It's always Super Bowl Sunday. It's going to be on Super Bowl Sunday until the Lions get to the Super Bowl and then we'll change the date."
